Bennett and Meg Goodman

SOURCE OF WEALTH: GSO Capital Partners

FUNDING AREAS: Education & Youth, Arts & Culture, Jewish Causes

OVERVIEW: Bennett and Meg Goodman move philanthropy through the Meg and Bennett Goodman Family Foundation. Available tax filings indicate that the foundation awarded just under $1.4 million in grants in 2017. New York City is an important region of giving, with grantmaking addressing causes like Jewish issues, education and arts and cultural institutions.

BACKGROUND: Bennett J. Goodman graduated from Lafayette College in 1979 and received his M.B.A. from Harvard Business School in 1984. Goodman worked in the high yield business at Drexel Burnham Lambert from 1984 to 1988. He also worked at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette and Credit Suisse. Goodman founded GSO Capital in 2005, and led its sale to the world’s largest private equity company, Blackstone.

Meg Goodman was a banker for 15 years with Bankers Trust Company and Citicorp.

ISSUES:

EDUCATION & YOUTH: Goodman supports his alma maters Lafayette College and Harvard Business School. The couple has also given $25 million to Year Up for scholarships.

ARTS & CULTURE:  Goodman is on the board of directors of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, which the couple steadily supports. They’ve directed at least $5 million to the institution. They also back Central Park Conservancy, where Goodman also sits on the board. He’s also a board member of Whitney Museum.

JEWISH CAUSES: Meg has sat on the board of Jewish Museum, which they support. Other grantees have included American Jewish Committee, and UJA-Federation of New York.

LOOKING FORWARD: The Goodmans will likely continue giving in the areas of Jewish causes, and perhaps to legacy institutions like Central Park. Now in his 60s and retired from Blackstone, Goodman’s giving may begin to ramp up.

CONTACT:

The Meg and Bennett Goodman Family Foundation does not provide a clear avenue for getting in touch with the couple but below is an address:

The Meg and Bennett Goodman Family Foundation
268 Broadway 101b
Saratoga Springs, NY 12866